


I Found Solace in You

by bpdperidot



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Abuse, Abusive Family, Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Human, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Hospitals, Internalized Homophobia, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Self-Harm, Slow Burn, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-07
Updated: 2017-04-19
Packaged: 2018-08-29 14:18:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8493007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bpdperidot/pseuds/bpdperidot
Summary: Peridot struggles with her abusive family, with Lapis as her support.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Lapis is Russian, and sometimes speaks Russian in this fic, so I'll put the translations at the end.

Midday sunlight streamed through the leaves of the trees, lighting up the path of a young girl making her way over to her best friend's house, intending to spend the night having fun. The freckled blonde teenager's footsteps echoed on the pavement as she approached the house, and not a moment later, a girl with slightly tanned skin, brown hair, and blue eyes burst out the front door to greet her, enveloping her friend in a hug.

"Hi, Lapis!" the blonde girl greeted, pulling back from the hug to fix her glasses, which had been knocked askew.  
"I've been waiting for you, Peridot!" Lapis excitedly replied, her voice carrying a noticeable Russian accent. She grabbed Peridot's hand and dragged her inside quickly.  
"You're really excited. We saw each other yesterday, remember?" Peridot joked, allowing herself to be towed inside.  
"I know, but I got this game - I can't wait to show you!" Lapis replied, closing the door behind the two of them and leading the way over to the living room, where a Wii sat beside a large tv, a few couches and a coffee table around it.

"Ooh! What's the game?"  
"I got Mariokart! We can race each other!"  
"Nice! Can we play it now?" Peridot asked, eager to play.  
"Yeah!" Lapis replied, smiling widely as she started up the console, handing Peridot a controller.

Peridot chose Yoshi, of course, and Lapis chose Toad. They got really into their game, playfully trying to to make the other mess up as they raced side by side. Lapis accidentally jabbed an elbow into Peridot's ribs, and the younger girl's concentration broke as she quietly hissed in pain; her friend took no notice, being too focused on the game. Peridot quickly regained her composure, continuing to play and eventually pulling a third place finish, while Lapis came in fifth.

"Wow, you're really good at this!" Lapis complimented before preparing for the next match.  
The duo played for several hours, with various shouts in both Russian and English, until they finally tired of the game. Lapis led Peridot up to her room, pulling out a bag full of nail polish bottles.  
"I got a bunch of new ones the other day. You wanna put some on?"  
Peridot nodded and replied, "Yeah!" She reached in and rummaged around, finding a lime green color and a holographic rainbow glitter one.  
"I like these ones. Could you put them on for me?"  
"Yeah, I can! Do you want to watch a movie together too?"  
"Sure!"

As Lapis went to get her laptop, Peridot started shaking the green nail polish to mix it. It slipped out of her grasp, landing in her lap as she winced in pain - Lapis returned just in time to notice.  
"Are you okay, Peri?"  
"Yeah, I'm fine," Peridot responded after a moment. "So, what movie do you want to watch?"  
Lapis thought for a second, squinting as she pondered, before answering. "What about... The Incredibles?"  
"Yeah! I love that one!"

Lapis put the movie on, and the girls worked on each others' nails, laughing and giggling as they watched the movie together. The time seemed to fly by, and they put on another movie, letting their nails dry; before long, a stomach growled, and Lapis snorted before asking, "Peri, was that you?".  
Peridot giggled before replying, "Yeah, I'm hungry."  
"Why don't we order some pizza? You like cheese, right?"  
"Yeah, that sounds good."  
Lapis ordered the pizza using a prepaid card that her mom had given her, and shortly after, it arrived, the doorbell ringing. Lapis jumped up, and Peridot followed, making a slight noise of discomfort as she got to her feet. The taller girl turned to face her, looking concerned.

"Are you sure you're okay? You've been acting like you've been sore all night."  
Peridot paused for a split second before answering, "Yeah, I just tripped over something at home and landed funny a few days ago."  
"Ah, okay. I hope you feel better." Lapis wasn't convinced, but let it go and went to get the pizza, Peridot following closely behind.  
They then ate, cracking jokes and giggling, all while a third movie was playing in the background. Night fell around them, and soon, they decided to finally go to bed - laying together in a pile of blankets on the floor.

Bands of light crossed over a dark room, giving slight illumination to the two young girls inside. The duo lay side by side, staring up at the glow-in-the-dark star stickers on the ceiling, talking about anything and everything that their tired minds could come up with.

"So, Lapis, if you could be invisible for a day, what would you do?" the small blonde girl spoke.  
Lapis squinted as she thought. "Hmm..." she began. "I'd probably... pretend to be a ghost!" She flapped her arms around animatedly, making ghost sounds. "Oooohhh~ I'm haunting you~" she managed to get out before she broke down into giggles. "What about you, Peri?"  
"I'd go get a bunch of candy!!" Peridot answered before starting to giggle herself.

When the duo's peals of laughter calmed down, Lapis asked the next question. "Do you think aliens are real?"  
Peridot sat up and just looked at Lapis before laying down and laughing. "Of course I do! Aliens are like, my aesthetic, man," she answered.  
"That doesn't explain your belief in them!"  
"Hmm... okay, well, I mean, the universe is infinite... It can't be just us out in space, you know. There's gotta be more, there's gotta be aliens out there."  
"Yeah..."

Another pause before Peridot asked,  
"Do you think animals have emotions like humans?"  
"I know they have emotions, and they definitely express them, but in their own unique ways..." Lapis trailed off, distracted.  
"Yeah. I think so too."

"...Hey, Peri." Lapis started, uncertain whether to continue with her thought.  
"Yeah, Lapis?" Peridot answered.  
"You don't talk about your family much, I've noticed that."  
Peridot was quiet for a few seconds, and the atmosphere lost its playful and carefree feeling, before she spoke softly; "My family... they don't like me."  
"Что? Your family is supposed to love you. How can you tell that they don't like you?"  
"They..." Peridot took a deep breath, thinking back to her past as she looked down at the floor. "They hit me, they throw insults at me, they make me feel guilty for my own existence," whispered Peridot.

_"You should have never been born, runt."_

Lapis reached over and took one of Peridot's hands, holding it tight. "How long has this been happening?" she asked with a concerned voice.  
Peridot looked down as she gave her reply. "They've been insulting me for as long as I can remember-"

_"You're worth nothing."_

"-but a few years ago they started getting physical..."

_Stumbling footsteps could be heard late that night as Peridot's drunken father staggered his way up the stairs, empty bottle in hand._

"My father got drunk that night, and he came home really late, when I should have been in bed."

_With quick, almost silent footsteps, Peridot darted out of her father's path in an attempt to avoid him - and the insults that would surely be flung her way._

"I tried to avoid him, but he caught me."

_She wasn't successful, and angry, unclear words were slurred at her; but she understood their meaning._

_"Come here, you little bitch!"_

_Peridot cowered in fear around the corner as her father approached, tossing the bottle aside, the glass landing on the floor with a clatter. She was grabbed by the collar of her shirt, and held up against the wall, legs dangling helplessly, and Peridot's breath caught in her throat._

"He grabbed me by the front of my shirt, and held me against the wall, where my feet couldn't touch the floor."

_She made no attempt to escape; she knew that would make him angrier. Fearful tears welled up and she closed her eyes as she tried to brace herself for the tongue-lashing she thought she was about to receive - but nothing could prepare her for the stars that burst in her vision as her head snapped sideways, the blood that filled her mouth, and the horrific pain that a strike from an open palm could deliver._

"I expected him to yell at me, like he always did, but I... I never expected him to hit me..." She paused for a second.  
"It hurt like nothing I'd ever experienced before."

 _Her knees buckled underneath her as she fell from her father's grasp, him having gotten bored of her. The man turned and stumbled away as she scrambled to grab the glasses that had flown off of her face, and she ran for her room, shaking in fear and pain._  
  
"I bolted for my room after he let me go."

_The door was closed and locked, and she spat out the blood pooling in her mouth into tissues, wiping her mouth as shaking wracked her small body._  
_She crumpled in on herself, crawling under the covers of her bed without changing into pajamas and curled up before letting the tears flow. Her shaking and her sobs shook her body as she bawled, her cheek felt like fire from the strike, but the tears and the pain didn't cease until she finally fell asleep._

"I locked the door and cried the rest of the night."  
Her voice cracked, and tears welled up in her eyes as she started to subtly shiver.  
"I cried myself to sleep," Peridot finished, and a single tear fell, illuminated by the beam of light from the streetlight outside. The light shone across her damp, freckled face, allowing Lapis to reach over and wipe the tear away before pulling Peridot into her arms.  
"О, Перидот..." Lapis murmured.

Peridot accepted the gesture, hugging Lapis in return. The steady beating of Lapis' heart began to calm Peridot down, and her shivering slowly subsided as her best friend held her in her arms.

"I shouldn't have asked you about that. It's obviously painful for you to remember..." Lapis mumbled, feeling guilty about making Peridot relive one of the worst moments of her life.  
"No, no, it's fine. I would have eventually told you," Peridot replied softly.

They both lay in silence for a few minutes, their gentle breathing in the quiet night the only sound that could be heard.  
"Is this still going on? Are they still hurting you?" Lapis asked.  
Peridot nodded, and weakly mumbled, "Yeah..."

Lapis hugged her tighter before speaking again. "I want you to know that I will always be here for you. I promise. You can tell me anything. I will never hurt you."  
"Thank you, Lapis. I'm so glad you're my best friend," Peridot mumbled again, sleepily.  
Lapis could sense that Peridot wanted to sleep, and she waited until she fell asleep before whispering to her, "Прости."

She let herself fall asleep soon after.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Что? - What?  
> О, Перидот... - Oh, Peridot...  
> Прости. - I'm sorry.


	2. Chapter 2

Peridot tapped her pencil on her desk lightly, silently wishing that the time would pass quicker; Lapis hadn't been at school at all that day, and she wanted to check in on her to make sure everything was okay. It was the height of cold and flu season; although Peridot had been able to avoid it so far, she had a hunch that Lapis hadn't. Lapis' mom was working most of the time - and if her best friend was sick, Peridot didn't want her to be sick all alone.

So Peridot spent the rest of the school day impatiently waiting for it to pass. Math class was the first lesson of the day, and even though she tried to pay attention, she still found herself counting down the minutes on the clock until she could leave, the time passing ever-so-slowly. Art followed, and the spot next to her was empty, and the classroom was devoid of the chatter that would fill the air if Lapis had been there that day. English was the slowest - it was her least favorite lesson, and she relied on her friend to liven it up. She fell asleep without Lapis nudging her when she got drowsy, and she woke when when the teacher shook her awake, managing to avoid dozing off for the rest of the class. History was better, but not by much - she still couldn't focus out of worry for her friend, and when school let out for the weekend, rather than going home, she went straight over to Lapis' house.

The journey didn't take long; Lapis' house was just a short distance from the school, and she arrived soon later, hoping her friend was okay. Cold sunlight filtered through the leaves on the trees as she walked, her backpack bumping gently against her back, sending little jolts of pain through her sides - but she paid it no mind as she approached Lapis' house. 

She let herself in with the spare key, and quietly made her way up to her friend's room, just in case she was asleep \- and she was, her bed was surrounded with crumpled-up tissues thrown aside after use. Peridot felt a pang of pity; Lapis looked miserable, even in her sleep; she shifted around fitfully, seemingly unable to get comfortable as she mumbled nonsensical phrases every now and then. The tissue box had fallen off the bed, and lay on its side on the floor.

Peridot swept some of the tissues aside, clearing a space to sit down, and she leaned up against the bed, quietly doing her homework as she waited for her friend to wake up.

A rough voice and a sniffle alerted her about a half an hour later, and she turned around to see Lapis sitting up and looking at her, confused. "Peridot?"

"Yeah, it's me. I came to visit so you wouldn't be alone."

"Oh! Thank you."

"No problem. You are my best friend, after all," Peridot replied, giving Lapis a quick smile.

She sat there for a second before asking, "Do you need anything? Like, tea or soup or something?"

"Soup would be nice..." Lapis rasped, her throat obviously sore. "And could you bring the thermometer? I want to see if my fever is going down."

Peridot nodded, standing up. "Sure thing."

She knew Lapis' house just as well as her own, and knew exactly where everything was. As the soup was warming up, she handed the thermometer to Lapis, who checked her temperature, and sighed sadly as she showed Peridot the reading.

"101.4°F, that's higher than when I took my nap..." Lapis mumbled, leaning back onto the pillows propped up against the wall.

"Do you want the cold medicine too?"

Lapis nodded, pulling the covers up over her.

"Okay, I'll be back in a second."

Peridot grabbed the medicine, the now warmed soup, and a spoon, and brought them back on a tray, setting it down in front of Lapis.

"Спасибо ..." she replied before sitting up and slowly eating the soup, taking the medicine with it. Whilst Peridot continued working on her homework, Lapis finished eating, looking at her best friend in appreciation. "You're a great friend, Peridot."

Peridot looked up at Lapis and smiled back. "I care about you," she responded, "And I want to help you get better. But thank you, I think you're a great friend too!" Lapis cracked a smile at that, and finished her soup as Peridot added the final details to her homework, putting it away in her backpack.

"Why are you doing this for me?" Lapis asked after pushing the bowl aside.

Peridot didn't even need to take time to think, replying softly, "Because I know you'd do the same for me."

Lapis smiled and relaxed again before slowly leaning over and grabbing her laptop off the floor. Peridot stood and took the tray back down into the kitchen, returning a moment later. She sat down gently on the edge of the bed and pulled out her phone, looking over at Lapis every now and then as she played a game.

The two were content to just enjoy each others' presence, sitting in silence barring the occasional sneeze or cough or sniffle coming from Lapis. After a while, the older girl spoke up, her voice still raspy and hoarse.

"I feel kind of bad having you cater to my every need..."

Peridot looked up, and answered, "It's fine, really. I want you to rest and feel better."

Lapis looked at Peridot, a smile on her face. "How about we watch a movie together?"

"Yeah, that sounds nice," Peridot replied. "Do you want to move to the living room? Are you feeling up to it?"

Lapis nodded, setting her laptop aside before pushing the covers back. Peridot got up and moved to Lapis' side, taking her hand to steady her as Lapis put an arm around Peridot's shoulders. The two walked to the living room together, and Lapis sat down on the couch. The room was growing increasingly cold, so Peridot brought her a few blankets, draping one over her friend's shoulders and another over her lap.

"Thank you," Lapis mumbled, blushing slightly in embarrassment at being fussed over.

"No problem," Peridot replied. "Do you want popcorn?"

Lapis nodded, pulling the blanket tighter around herself as Peridot went into the kitchen. A few minutes later, the popcorn began popping, and Peridot returned, hovering by the tv.

"So what movie do you want to watch?"

Lapis thought for a moment, considering her options, and answered; "Toy Story."

"Okay! I'll put it on."

Peridot shivered slightly as she inserted the disk into the tv, handing Lapis the remote. She returned to the kitchen to get the finished popcorn, and then settled down beside Lapis with the bowl, placing it between them as her friend started the movie.

Before long, Peridot felt the chill of the house seep into her body further, and rubbed her arms to try and dispel it. "Lapis," she whispered. "Can we share your blankets? I'm getting cold..."

"I don't want you to get sick..." Lapis protested quietly.

“Okay,” Peridot accepted, rubbing her arms gently. Lapis felt a pang of pity when she saw Peridot trying to warm herself up.

“Okay, you can come under here, ”  she offered, lifting the blanket  to make room for Peridot, who gratefully climbed under the blankets, one draped over  Lapis' back and wrapped around her, and the other crossing her lap. 

“Thank you…”

Peridot warmed up quickly, and before long, she felt Lapis lean her head on Peridot’s shoulder sleepily. She smiled gently as she watched the movie, and put an arm around Lapis, content to remain there with her friend in silence.

Suddenly, Lapis violently sneezed, scaring Peridot half to death; she fell off the couch with a squeak of surprise, and  started laughing as she lay there for a minute. As Peridot got under the blankets again,  Lapis giggled too, laying her head back on Peridot’s shoulder \-  and by the middle of the third movie, she was snoring softly, fast asleep.

Peridot  soon found herself dozing off as well, her arm curled around Lapis as she closed her eyes, the movie playing in the background. 

\--------

_ Moonlight washed over  two  girls as they sat on the roof of a house  neither of them recognized, a warm breeze ruffling their hair, and fireflies danced through the air, little pinpricks of light in the darkening evening. They heard only the sounds of crickets chirping, the occasional croak of a bullfrog, and their own breathing.  Their hands slowly drift together, their fingers intertwining, and they look over at each other, smiling softly as  their eyes met._

_ They were content to lay there holding hands for a short while, but before long, they  leaned in towards each other, closing the gap between them. Each possessed a certain ethereal, almost transcendent, beauty in the moonlight, thought the other, and as the girls looked into each other's eyes, they leaned in closer, their lips meeting for the first time. _

_ After a minute, the kiss broke, and the shorter girl brushed aside a lock of brown hair from the other's eyes, gazing into them in adoration. "Lapis..." she whispered. _

_ The taller girl brushed her lips over her partner's again, and smiled, replying; "Peridot..." _

_ "I love you," they finished in unison._

\-------

The next morning, Peridot awoke, slowly opening her eyes; Lapis was still sleeping beside her, resting her head on Peridot, and at some point, the two had become wrapped around each other on the couch.

She had dreamt of Lapis - only natural, of course, since the two had been talking not long ago - and of kissing - fair enough, she'd never done it before, so it was an interesting idea -, and of... kissing Lapis. That was weird, but dreams don't mean anything, Peridot reasoned, so it was really nothing to be worried about. There was no greater significance to it, and it wasn't like it was going to happen in real life or anything.

Peridot felt unusually warm. Curled up against Lapis, sharing their body heat under the blankets, it wasn't any wonder why - so she slowly untangled herself from her best friend, and stood up, careful not to wake the taller girl. After a moment, she was still feeling uncomfortably warm - she quietly made her way to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water.

It helped a little, the iced liquid cooling her down slightly; she resolved to give it a moment just in case, but as she looked over to the couch, Peridot caught sight of Lapis stirring from her sleep, pushing the blankets aside and looking around. "Peridot?", Lapis called out.

"I'm in here," she replied, setting the glass of water aside and walking back into the room. "What's up?"

"Oh!" Lapis smiled, sighing in relief. "I thought you might've left."

Peridot shook her head. "Still here. How are you feeling?"

"A lot better - thanks for helping me yesterday!"

"No problem. I know you'd do the same for me." Peridot smiled back and sat down on the couch beside Lapis.

"So," Lapis replied, "What are we going to do today?"

The day flew by as the two girls played together, all thoughts of any illnesses shoved aside in favor of a day of enjoyment. Some time passed, and after six consecutive matches of Super Smash Bros, the games were put away, and Peridot and Lapis found themselves laying back on the couch, laughing. 

Before long, Lapis' stomach growled, alerting Peridot, who looked over. Her giggles renewed, and after a moment,  she asked, "Are you hungry? I can make you more soup if you want me to."

"You don't have to..."

"It's fine, and  while you may feel better than yesterday, you're still fighting off your cold."

"Okay..."

Peridot smiled and stood, stretching and heading to the kitchen to make food for them both.  She heard a few coughs come from Lapis before she cleared her throat, pulled two soup cans and a pot out of the cabinet, and began making  lunch.

Peridot coughed slightly as she made the soup; she didn't even notice her slightly increased fatigue and runny nose, too focused on providing for her friend. When she was done, she brought the food back to the living room and set it down in front of Lapis.

"Here you go!" Peridot chirped before sitting down and starting to eat her own bowl of soup. She looked over at Lapis and asked,  "Do you like it?"

"It's great, Peri! Thanks for making it."

"No prob,  Bob ."

"It's Lapis."

They ate quickly, setting the bowls aside when  they were  finished; for the next few hours, they played games with each other, enjoying themselves, until later that evening, Peridot realized she had to go home.

She didn't  want to go at all; she didn't want to leave Lapis by herself. She reluctantly stood, and started gathering her things to leave.

"I have to go home now, sorry. My parents will yell at me if I don't."

"It's okay!" Lapis chirped. "I'll see you in school!"

"Okay, bye, Lapis." Peridot answered before making her way back home.

Her house was loud as usual, with music blaring and the sounds of her sister working out and her father yelling about something filling the air as she  quietly made her way up to her room unnoticed \- she spent the rest of the evening to herself without her family bothering her.

\-------

Sunday was relatively uneventful. Peridot  couldn't go over to Lapis' house; her parents wouldn't let her, as she'd been over for the last two days already. She didn't feel too great, but surely sleep would fix it, she reasoned.

The next morning, Peridot felt absolutely awful . Not wanting to feel the sting of her mother's tongue, she forced herself out of bed anyway, quickly getting ready as her body screamed at her to get right back into bed and sleep.

She trudged to school, hardly able to pick up her feet and walk. Lapis joined her as she passed by, and the first thing she asked was, "Are you okay? You don't look like you feel that great..."

"I don't. I have to come unless I'm like , puking my guts up or something, or my mom will yell at me, " Peridot rasped,  leaning on Lapis slightly.  Lapis put her arm around Peridot and let her friend lean on her as they walked - Peridot looked like she could hardly stand up. 

Even with Lapis there to help her through the day, school was miserable for Peridot; her head was pounding, and it was hard to breathe, let alone focus on anything the teachers were saying. All she wanted to do was sleep.

She was so thankful when school let out, and she started to make the slow walk home before Lapis stopped her.

"You can stay at my house. It's not as far away as yours."

Peridot nodded as she sniffled pitifully, her knees buckling slightly underneath her. Without a moment of hesitation, Lapis leaned down and picked up her best friend, who made a small squeak of surprise.

"You're barely upright, I wouldn't make you walk there," Lapis said.  Peridot gently wrapped her arms around  her friend  gratefully  as she slowly drifted to sleep, lulled by Lapis' footsteps.

"We're here, Peri. I have to put you down to unlock the door, but I'll carry you to my room if you'd like, " Lapis announced, rousing Peridot from her half-sleep.

Peridot nodded in understanding and stood, her legs trembling a little bit as Lapis unlocked and opened the door, before picking her back up and carrying her inside. 

Lapis pushed the door shut with her foot and carried Peridot up to her room, setting her down on the bed.

"You can wear a pair of my pajamas if you want. I know it wouldn't be comfortable resting or sleeping in what you're wearing now, " Lapis offered.

Peridot nodded weakly and smiled.  "Thank you."

Lapis turned to her dresser and pulled out a blue and green pair before handing them to Peridot, who slowly put them on.

"You can rest in my bed if you want, I'll stay at my desk and do homework."

"Okay, thank you, " Peridot mumbled, smiling  again before crawling under the covers of Lapis' bed and making herself comfortable.

"One more  thing - do you want some soup or cold medicine or anything?" Lapis asked.

"Both, please."

"Okay, I'll be right back."

Lapis left the room to make the soup, and Peridot waited patiently for her friend's return.

She soon returned with the food and the medicine, and set them down in front of Peridot, who gratefully took some of the medicine before starting to eat.

"Thanks for bringing me here. I'd rather rest here than at home," she rasped. "Its always loud at home, or if there's nothing going on, someone  bursts into my room without warning."

Lapis looked at her friend with slight concern and answered, "No problem. It was quicker to get here than back to your place."

While Lapis started on her homework,  Peridot ate in silence; when she finished, she set the tray aside and reached for her bag, taking out her homework.  The duo  worked together quietly, helping each other with the  harder questions. After they finished, they spent time on the internet, sitting next to each other on their laptops, passing the time until it was time to go to bed.

"Are you ready to sleep, Peri?" Lapis asked, changing into pajamas of her own.

"Yeah, but where are you going to sleep? I can move if you want..."

"No, no, you don't have to move..." Lapis paused. "Do you mind if we sleep together?"

"But won't I get you sick?"

"No, I think you got it from me. Even then, I'm willing to take the risk."

"Okay."

Lapis climbed into the bed beside Peridot, and settled down before closing her eyes, falling asleep shortly after . A few minutes passed before Peridot drifted off as well.

\--------

_She found herself back at home, quietly doing her homework in her room, not making any noise or bothering anybody._

_ A sense of impending dread loomed over her as the minutes passed. She wasn't sure what her intuition was warning her about, but it wasn't good._

_ Minutes later, large and loud footsteps made their way towards her room, and she dropped everything to scramble and try to hide under her bed as the door burst open, revealing her much larger sister._

_She didn't make it under the bed in time, and Jasper grabbed her sides, pulling her roughly out from under the bed. Peridot squealed in fear and pain, her sister's grip was tightening around her waist._

_Jasper spun Peridot around to see her face, and began to squeeze her sides; Peridot cried out in pain, tears forming in her eyes._

_ She weakly pushed at Jasper's hand s, trying to force her off in vain; Jasper only tightened her grip before suddenly letting go and  making Peridot fall to the ground, collapsing at her feet._

_ "You're weak, runt."_

_ Jasper punctuated the sentence with a swift kick to her younger sister's ribs, before pointedly turning around and walking away, leaving Peridot curled up on the floor in pain._

_After a few minutes, she weakly crawled to the door and shut it again before crawling under her bed and curling up to cry._

\--------

Peridot woke with a start, shaking in fear. Tears formed in her eyes as she hugged Lapis tight, rousing her from her sleep.

"Что ...? Перидот?" Lapis sleepily asked, still too asleep to speak English, before realizing  her best friend was shaking. Peridot only hugged her tighter in response.

"Are you okay? What happened?" she asked more urgently, finding her words, and wrapping her arms around  Peridot to pull her close.

"I had a nightmare..." Peridot whimpered, tears running down her face, soaking into the front of Lapis' shirt. Lapis gently rubbed Peridot's back comfortingly, and Peridot's shaking began to slowly subside.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Peridot shook her head in response, and Lapis let it be, holding her friend until she fell back asleep. Lapis only assumed it could have been her family that she'd dreamed about, but she resolved to not say anything until Peridot was ready to tell her. She felt a pang of sadness as she thought about it, and the feeling accompanied her until she fell asleep too.

Lapis woke before Peridot, and found herself still in the vice grip of her best friend's arms. She knew she couldn't move; because she didn't want to disturb her. Besides, it was already too late to make it to school, and she had to take care of Peridot.  She lay there until Peridot woke too, sniffling slightly.

Peridot shifted and relaxed her grip, allowing Lapis to move.

"How are you feeling?" Lapis asked.

"Not too great, but better than yesterday." Peridot replied, sniffling again.

Lapis' stomach growled, and she sat up as Peridot giggled sleepily.  "I'm gonna grab a granola bar real quick, I'll be right back,"  she said,  before standing up and quietly making her way down to the kitchen to grab some breakfast.

It didn't take long, but by the time Lapis returned, Peridot had already fallen back asleep. She giggled  quietly, but stopped when she noticed that Peridot's shirt had been pushed up a little, and what skin had been revealed was mottled with bruises in varying stages of healing. A pang of sadness hit her as she pulled the covers back over her friend, and suddenly, she wasn't so hungry anymore.

As Peridot slumbered on, unaware of what  her best friend had just seen, Lapis pulled out her laptop, trying to  distract herself from the nagging thoughts until Peridot woke again.

The sleepy little sounds of a waking Peridot alerted Lapis from whatever game she was playing, and she looked up at her friend.

"You're finally awake, I see," Lapis commented with a grin. Peridot giggled in response before sitting up and propping the pillow up, leaning back on it as she pulled her laptop into her lap. The two sat in silence, playing games until Lapis tentatively spoke, "Hey, Peridot?"

"Hmm?"

Lapis hesitated before  asking, "Is everything okay back home?"

Peridot stiffened slightly at the question and Lapis frantically  continued,  "You don't have to answer if you don't want to... I just saw the bruises on your waist and got concerned, y'know..."

Peridot looked away from Lapis  slightly  and mumbled, "It's okay, I would have told you eventually." She paused for a second, before recounting the specific incident that gave her the bruises on her waist.

Lapis listened in great concern, and when her friend had finished, she reached out and placed a gentle hand on Peridot's. "You can tell me anything. I won't tell anyone else if you don't want me to. You're my best friend and I care about you a lot."

Peridot smiled and murmured, "Thank you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Спасибо..." - "Thank you..."  
> "Что ...? Перидот?" - "Wha...? Peridot?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for emetophobia in this chapter (i only mention it because i have this fear myself)

Peridot slowly made her way over to Lapis' house, slightly hesitant and quite nervous. She was surprised they'd even been invited to the senior's party at all - they were only sophomores.

She tugged subconsciously at the scarf wrapped loosely around her neck as she approached the house,  uncomfortable in the warm air.  Peridot looked up as a familiar voice called her name -  Lapis was  standing in the doorway, excitedly beckoning to  Peridot to get her to walk faster.

Lapis was full of excitement for her first high-school party;  "C'mon, Peri! Let's pick out cute outfits to wear!" she  chirped as she grabbed Peridot by the wrist, leading  her to  Lapis' room.

Lapis began rummaging through her closet, quickly picking out a blue halter-top and matching skirt before placing them on the bed and starting to look again. Peridot joined her, trying to look and act excited about the party; Lapis knew her too well, and something was clearly bothering her. However, she let it be.

Peridot reluctantly picked out a formal-looking collared shirt,  designed to be worn with a tie.

Lapis looked at it and piped up, "Peri, don't you think that might look a bit too formal?"

Peridot shrugged and put the shirt back before pulling a turtleneck sweater out of the closet.

"But it's not cold out..." Lapis interjected. Peridot looked away and put the sweater back, tugging at her scarf.

"Do you want me to pick something out for you?" Lapis suggested.

"Yeah..." Peridot mumbled hoarsely, nodding.

Lapis rummaged around before picking out a sleeveless black top and a mint green miniskirt. Peridot smiled and took the clothes from Lapis, who turned back to the closet and kept looking.

Lapis was concerned \- why was Peridot so quiet? She seemed really unhappy. When she heard Peridot struggling to take her sweatshirt off over her scarf, she turned around, confused - it seemed her best friend was trying to keep the scarf on. 

"Peridot, are you okay? Why don't you just take the scarf off? It is pretty warm in here..."she suggested, reaching over and helping her out of the sweatshirt.

"I'd rather not..."

"Come on, Peri, it's okay."

Peridot reluctantly took the scarf off, revealing mottled bruises around her neck \- they looked suspiciously  like hand prints.

Lapis gasped a little before asking, "How did this happen?"

"I fell down the stairs..." Peridot mumbled after a few moments of silence.

Lapis didn't buy it for a second. "But they're on your neck."

T h e shorter of the two didn't answer ; after a moment, she nodded, turning away and beginning to put on the outfit Lapis suggested.

"I can at least help you hide them."

Peridot stopped in the middle of putting the clothes on and looked up at her gratefully. "Thank you, Lapis."

Lapis smiled and answered, "No problem," before turning back to the outfits she had picked out. She pondered for a moment before settling on the halter-top and long skirt combo .

Lapis put the outfit on quickly, finishing getting dressed shortly after Peridot. She then went into the bathroom and grabbed her concealer, before beckoning Peridot to follow her.

The bruises looked fairly new - they were still a reddish-pink color. Lapis gently applied green-based concealer to Peridot's bruised neck, taking care to cover all the injuries. Peridot whimpered in pain when Lapis accidentally applied too much pressure, leading Lapis to try and be even gentler; she followed up with concealer that matched Peridot's skin tone, and soon, she couldn't tell that there had been any bruises there at all.

"Are you  done?" Peridot quietly asked.

"Almost. I have to put some setting spray on it. You don't want it to rub off during the night."

Peridot nodded and allowed Lapis to seal the makeup. When she was all done, she hugged Lapis and mumbled, "Thanks for doing this for me..."

"No problem."

Now that she  had finished covering up Peridot's bruises,  Lapis focused on her own makeup, applying mascara and eyeliner along with foundation and eyeshadow and such \- although this wasn't a formal party, she still wanted to look her best.

"Are you gonna do your makeup too, Peri?"

"Yeah."

After  Peridot applied her makeup and they selected cute shoes to match their outfits, the duo set off for the party.  Lapis led the way, excitement radiating off her. Peridot tried to show excitement with mixed results - after a short time, she reached for Lapis' hand, seeking reassurance. When Lapis noticed, she laced her fingers with Peridot's and smiled at her.

"It'll be okay. I'm here."

Peridot smiled softly in response as they neared the party.

As they approached, they could hear loud music and loud people - the party was in full swing. Welcomed in, they let go of each other, tentatively accepting cups of booze. As time passed, the two loosened up, getting more comfortable being around so many people.

Lapis only had a light buzz going after a cup and a half, but Peridot was going all-out \- she was working her way through her fourth cup, and she only got more and more tipsy as the night went on. But rather than acting boisterous and happy, she got more subdued and sad with each cup of alcohol she drank.

Peridot hiccuped slightly as she drunkenly stumbled her way towards Lapis, trying to call her friend's name, slurring it until it was almost unintelligible. She slouched on Lapis, seemingly losing the ability to stand up straight - or stand up at all, for that matter.

"Peridot, are you okay? How much have you drank?" 

Peridot finished the rest of the cup she was holding, then dropped it,  wrapping her arms around Lapis. She didn't say anything \-  she just closed her eyes and let her friend prop her up.

"I'm taking you outside," Lapis stated, helping her friend stand upright. The duo slowly made their way through the partying crowd, dodging elbows and drinks.  It was cooler and much calmer outside - there weren't many people, and those who were, were only smoking, a sure sign that they'd go back inside soon.

The friends sat on the front doorstep, and Peridot leaned her head on Lapis' shoulder, seemingly exhausted. The taller girl was surprised when she felt tears fall onto her, and she looked over at Peridot. Silent tears ran down her face, and after a minute, she mumbled, "Lapis?"

"Да?" Lapis responded, the alcohol making it more comfortable to speak in her mother tongue.

"I... I need to... to tell you about the... the bruises..."

Lapis put her arm around her friend and pulled her close.

"Не здесь." She internally reprimanded herself and corrected it, "Not here."

Peridot wobbled as  Lapis hoisted  her to her feet, and after a moment, she fell, unable to stand. Lapis  picked her up and began carrying her back home.

"Lapis... I'm... I love you... Thiiiiiis much..." Peridot attempted to stretch her arms out in an indication of the amount ; as she tried to let go of Lapis, she swayed to the side, almost falling before the other girl caught her.

"Shh...  Peridot,  you're really drunk. You don't mean that," Lapis mumbled to her.

The duo reached Lapis' house again, and, like usual, nobody was home. Lapis carried Peridot up to her room, and set her on the bed, just like the time Peridot was sick and needed to be carried home from school. 

"I'm gonna get you some water, okay? I'll be right back," Lapis told her friend, who nodded her head slowly. She left the room and went to the kitchen, filling up two glasses of water and sighing as she heard stumbling footsteps from the floor above.

On the way back to her room, the sounds of retching alerted her to where Peridot had gone. Lapis found her in the bathroom, hanging over the toilet, tears running down her face.

"Oh, Peridot..." Lapis mumbled, going over and sitting down beside her friend.

Peridot looked up upon hearing her name, leaning against Lapis, who put an arm around her in response.

"Lapis... Things are... are terrible at home..."  she hiccuped, a fresh wave of tears spilling over before she continued. "They... they beat me and call me worthless... and weak and a... and a mistake..."

"Peridot, you're not worthless, or weak, or a mistake. They shouldn't be beating you. You don't deserve this , " Lapis reassured her.

Peridot leaned over abruptly and heaved again, the harsh motions wracking her small body. Lapis rubbed her back comfortingly, and Peridot spat a few times before leaning back into Lapis's arms.

"The bruises on my... on my neck are from m-my dad..." she paused to wipe some of the tears from her face, and took a drink from her glass of water before continuing, "He w-was drunk... and I was in his way..."

_ Drunken yelling and slow, heavy footsteps made their way towards the kitchen, where Peridot had been grabbing snacks to take back to her room. She didn't hear her father's approach until it was too late.  _

_She tried to dodge and escape to her room, but a large hand caught her own, and the other wrapped around her throat._

Peridot leaned her head against Lapis' shoulder and continued , sobbing .

"He... he started ch-choking me... I couldn't breathe..."

_She felt her feet rise off the ground and her father's other hand wrap around her neck. Her vision started to go dark as she_ _ gasped and choked, and she clawed at the hands around her neck. _

_ When her father abruptly released her and stumbled away, she suddenly hit the ground, coughing and gasping w_ _eakly as her vision slowly returned._  

"Это ужасно..." Lapis shook her head \- the booze made speaking English hard - before correcting herself, "That's awful, Peri..."

Peridot just remained silent for a few minutes, while drinking her water.

"I think I'm okay... Can... can you take me back in th-there?"

"Sure."

Peridot slowly stood, propping herself against the wall. Lapis flushed the toilet and wrapped her arm around Peridot's waist to steady her.

"C-can I have some mouthwash... my... my mouth tastes bad..."

"Of course."

Peridot grabbed the mouthwash and rinsed her mouth quickly, before returning to Lapis' room to join her friend. She collapsed, more than sat down, on the bed, but when Lapis joined her, she leaned against her friend, closing her eyes.

"Lapis?" Peridot sleepily mumbled after a few minutes of silence.

"Да?" Lapis answered.

"I-I'm not... not gay, but... recently... I've wanted t-to ... kiss you...."

Lapis was both surprised but... not at the same time. She'd been having worryingly similar  thoughts about Peridot, and she hid them well \- but thanks to being less sober, any inhibitions she had were gone.

"Kiss me, then."

"R-really?"

"Да, поцелуй меня."

Peridot turned towards Lapis, and they leaned in until their faces were almost touching; Lapis could feel Peridot's breath on her face, and even through Peridot's drunken haze, she could still make out the deep blue of Lapis' eyes.

There wouldn't be anything wrong with it, they were just friends; so  Lapis made the first move, quickly capturing Peridot's lips in a kiss. They broke apart briefly to breathe before kissing each other again, then parting once more.

"That... that felt nice..." Peridot mumbled, before leaning against Lapis again.

"Yeah, it did." 

Peridot closed her eyes again as she rested there, and eventually fell asleep.

Lapis gently moved to the bed, laying Peridot down on it. She carefully took  off Peridot's party clothes and replaced them with pajamas, laying Peridot's glasses on the bedside table for safekeeping as she put on her own pajamas.

Lapis  climbed into the bed beside Peridot, pulled the covers over the two of them, and turned the lights out. She fell asleep shortly after.

\--------

The first thing Peridot noticed the next morning was the pounding headache. She groaned as she came to, rubbing her bleary eyes and trying to figure out where she was and what had happened the previous night. She squinted at the light as she held her head and looked around, recognizing Lapis' room \- and Lapis, still asleep beside her.

Peridot got up as quickly as she could manage to avoid worsening her headache, and to avoid waking her friend up. She went to the medicine cabinet and took some painkillers to hopefully deaden the throbbing pain, placing an ice pack from the fridge on her forehead, sighing in relief at the cool sensation. Peridot made her way to Lapis' room again and climbed back into bed.

Lapis woke at the movement of Peridot climbing back into the bed with her, and she rolled over to face her friend.

"Are you okay?" she asked, concerned. She knew Peridot would be hungover, but she wasn't sure how bad.

"I feel like I was hit by a truck. Please tell me I didn't do anything stupid while I was hammered last night," Peridot groaned. "I don't remember anything after that third cup of booze."

Lapis thought back to the previous night. "Well, after I'd say your fifth or sixth cup, you came to me almost unable to stand, and I took you outside, and from there you wanted to tell me about how you got the bruises on your neck."

Peridot internally groaned as Lapis continued.

"I carried you back here because you were too inebriated to stand,  let alone walk, and soon after we got back here, you threw up."

"Great , " Peridot grumbled sarcastically.

"You then told me about how your dad gave you those bruises, and I held you as you cried,  and then you told me that you'd had thoughts about kissing me, so we kissed."

Peridot blushed \- that didn't make sense at all. She couldn't have done that; she wasn't gay. Lapis seemed to have picked up on Peridot's worried thoughts.

"We were both drunk. It wasn't gay, it didn't count."

Peridot sighed in relief and, after a few seconds, asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm not hungover because I only had two cups of alcohol... as opposed to your six." Lapis chuckled, pulling Peridot gently into a hug. "But we can rest all day, I know you'll need it."

Peridot thought about how she'd told Lapis everything that had happened with her dad recently, and how much Lapis had helped her in the wake of everything her family had done to her over the past few years. 

"Thank you... for everything. Thank you for helping my drunk ass last night, thank you for comforting me when my family gets rough, just... thanks for being there for me. I really appreciate it. You're the best thing to happen to me."

Lapis blushed slightly at her friend's words,  replying, "Oh, no problem. I really care about you and I want you to be safe and happy."

Peridot smiled and hugged her friend. "Thank you."

"From now on - honestly, I've been doing this since I met you - if you ever need to get away from your family for a while, you can always come over here. This can be your safe haven."

The smaller girl didn't know what to say for a moment, so in response she just hugged her friend tighter and mumbled, "Thank you." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Да?" - "Yes?"  
> "Не здесь." - "Not here."  
> "Это ужасно..." - "That's awful..."  
> "Да, поцелуй меня." - "Yes, kiss me."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm surprised by how quickly i was able to write this one tbh

Lapis and Peridot sat in their junior art class, whispering to each other, their work forgotten. The prom was getting close, and everyone wanted to have a date to take.

"So, Peri, do you have anyone in mind to take to the prom?" Lapis asked, glancing at the teacher to make sure they weren't listening, before looking back to her friend.  
Peridot made a face when she thought about the guys in their grade.  
"No, they all suck, or they're taken already. I'd rather go with you - as a friend -, but my parents dont want me to seem like I'm a lesbian, so I Have to take a guy," she sighed.  
"Yeah, I hear you. Why are all the guys here so gross?"  
"I don't know... I'm considering taking Blake, he's the least gross of the ones left; I guess I have to go with him."  
"I'll probably ask Travis, then."  
"Yeah, he's decent, I guess."

\--------

Peridot sat in her room, finishing up that day's homework. She kept to herself until her mother barged into the room, making her flinch.  
"Don't flinch, it's just me. Do you have a date to the prom, it's in a few days, you know."  
Peridot rolled her eyes and answered, "Yes, mom, I have a date to the prom.  
"Good. We can't have you looking like one of those gays."  
She looked back at her homework, cringing internally. She didn't think that being gay was so bad - not that she was a lesbian herself, of course. She was even taking a guy to the prom.  
"Who are you going with?"  
"Blake."  
"Blake who?"  
"Blake Conrad."  
"Oh, I know him. He's a nice boy. You made the right choice."  
Peridot wasn't so sure.

\-------

It was the night of the prom, and her mom was fawning over her, making sure that her hair looked perfect, her dress was on right, and her makeup wasn't smudged.  
Peridot was uncomfortable, to say the least.

She wore a strapless number that started as lime green at the top and faded out to white as it neared the hem. It was a beautiful dress, and it flowed well, she'd give it that, but she wasn't a dress person.  
She was just thankful it wasn't too skimpy.  
"You look beautiful, Peridot!" her mother chirped before adding a touch to her makeup. It felt like it was caked on, and Peridot wanted nothing more than to wash it all off.  
She didn't say anything about it and instead forced out, "Thanks, mom."  
There was a knock on the door and her mother jumped up to go answer it.  
"I'll bet it's Blake!"

It was. Peridot took slow, tentative steps to the door. She'd never worn heels before; she was afraid she'd fall over and break her neck.  
She finally made it to the door, and Blake immediately complimented her.  
"You look beautiful."  
Peridot blushed from both flattery and discomfort and mumbled, "Thanks..."  
He held out his arm, and she hesitated for a split second before taking it. He helped her down the steps, and Peridot was thankful - she probably wouldn't have made it down alive in those heels without him to steady her.  
Blake started to lead her to the car, and her mother called out from the doorway, "Have fun, you two!"

Peridot scooted into the backseat, relieved to see Lapis and her date were already there. Lapis looked absolutely stunning in a short, ruffly dark blue dress. Once she was in and the door was shut, Blake got in the passenger side in the front, leaving the girls in the back, with Travis driving.  
She looked over at Lapis and reached for her hand, sensing Lapis' discomfort. Lapis took it, glad to know that she wasn't alone in those feelings.  
It was a short ride to the prom, it only took a few minutes. Once there, their respective dates helped them out of the car, and the four of them walked into the prom together.

Peridot was uneasy. She didn't feel comfortable sharing the night with a guy she hardly liked - or knew, for that matter. She didn't want to seem rude though, so she stuck out the first thirty minutes or so, dancing awkwardly and talking to him.  
"I'm... gonna go to the bathroom. I'll be back," she lied. She couldn't take it anymore.

She hastily made her way towards the bathroom - she was finally getting the hang of walking in the heels - and bumped into Lapis, who seemed to have had the same idea.  
"Oh my god, I'm so glad I found you," Lapis whispered. "I've been trying to get away from Travis since we got here."  
Peridot felt a pang of pity for Lapis; she seemed so uncomfortable.  
"I had to get away from Blake too," she replied.  
"Let's go somewhere they can't find us. I know a place," Lapis suggested, grabbing Peridot by the hand and starting to lead her away from the dance.

Lapis led Peridot to a ladder going up the side of the building, took her heels off, and started to climb. Peridot looked away hurriedly - she didn't want to be rude and look up Lapis's dress.  
"C'mon, Peri!"  
Peridot took her own heels off and started climbing after her, looking down at her feet to make sure she didn't get her dress tangled in the ladder.

"It's beautiful up here..." Lapis breathed as Peridot settled down beside her.  
"You know what else is beautiful?" Peridot continued. She'd done some thinking over the past few weeks, and she figured it was time for her to come to terms with the idea.  
"Me," Lapis finished, giggling.  
This was it. This was her chance.  
"Yes. You're beautiful, Lapis. I... I love you."  
"Huh?"  
"I love you," Peridot paused for a moment, her heart pounding. "I think I'm gay, Lapis. I think that's why I've never been interested in guys."  
Lapis didn't say anything for a few moments. Peridot's hands shook and she was on the verge of tearing up - of course Lapis didn't like her back, now she'd just ruined their friendship - when Lapis put her hand on Peridot's shoulder.  
"Я тоже тебя люблю."  
"What?"  
"I love you too, Peridot. I think I'm gay too."

It took a moment for the words to sink in. When she finally understood, she smiled and hugged Lapis, so relieved that she didn't hate her.  
"It took a lot of thinking. I was so scared to think of myself as something I'd been taught my entire life to hate... My mom always hated gay people. What's she going to think of me now?" Peridot wondered.  
"Don't tell her."  
Peridot looked at Lapis in confusion.  
"Please, don't tell her. I don't know what she and the rest of your family will do to you if they know that you're gay, but I can only assume that it won't be good."  
"You're right," Peridot mumbled, leaning up against Lapis and looking up at the night sky.  
"The stars are so beautiful..." Lapis began. "But not as beautiful as you!" she finished, placing a kiss on Peridot's cheek.  
Peridot blushed and smiled gently at the kiss, and Lapis put her arm around her, keeping her close.

"Hey, Peridot?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Now that we both know we have feelings for each other, I have a special question."  
"Hmm?"  
"Peridot Smith, will you go out with me?"  
Peridot froze for a second while she processed the words. An expression of pure happiness crossed her face, and she took one of Lapis' hands in her own and answered, "Yes, Lapis; yes, I will."  
"I love you, Peridot."  
"I love you too."

"Lapis... Can I kiss you?" Peridot tentatively mumbled, a little nervous.  
"Of course you can," Lapis replied, turning towards Peridot.  
"Okay." Peridot prepared herself for her first kiss - well, her first sober kiss. She hadn't kissed anyone since that time she'd gotten plastered at the party her sophomore year.

She must have been obviously anxious, and she was grateful when Lapis took the lead, moving her hands to hold her girlfriend's face gently. Lapis placed a soft kiss on Peridot's lips; the kiss only lasted a few seconds, but it felt like a lifetime.  
They broke apart to breathe before they kissed again more deeply, Lapis draping her arms over her girlfriend's shoulders and Peridot wrapping hers around Lapis' waist to bring her closer.

This felt right to her. Peridot knew that this was love - and she loved how great it felt.  
This was the best moment of her life, and she never wanted it to end.

"You know, a few years ago, I had a dream that we kissed," Lapis mused. "It was when I was sick and you were taking care of me."  
Peridot was taken aback - she'd had the exact same dream back then too.  
"So did I," Peridot began. "We were sitting on a roof, we didn't recognize the house. It was a summer night - quite similar to this one, in fact."  
"...Yeah, that's exactly what my dream was like."  
"Huh. I don't know what that means, but that's cool. Maybe our relationship was meant to be."  
"I hope it is, because I really love you, Peridot. I don't know how I didn't see it before, but it's undeniable."

The couple sat there watching the stars in silence, when a shooting star passed.  
"Did you see that, Lapis?"  
"Yes, I did!"  
"What did you wish for?"  
"I can't tell you, or it won't come true. But, it was about you!"  
Lapis gently poked her girlfriend's little nose, and Peridot giggled, the sound music to Lapis' ears.

Lapis had wished for Peridot to stay safe. She knew what Peridot's family put her through, and it made her heart ache when Peridot told her what they did to her. She didn't deserve any of it.  
"I love you," Lapis murmured, pulling Peridot close to her once more.  
"I love you too."

They stayed there on the roof until the prom was over. They were thankful, if a little surprised, to find nobody had come to look for them when they disappeared. They'd found happiness in each other, rather than trying to fake it with boys they had no interest in. The two girls made their way carefully down the ladder and started walking home in their bare feet; they were tired of the heels.

Lapis led the way to her house, holding Peridot's hand the whole time. She led Peridot up the steps and into the house, but Peridot stopped in the foyer, explaining, "I can't stay. I'd love to, but I have to take this dress and makeup off, and I'm sure my mom is wondering where I am."  
Lapis was a little disappointed, but she understood. "Okay, but I have something for you."  
She went up the stairs and into her room before returning shortly with one of her hoodies, folded up neatly.  
"I want you to have this; something to remind you of me, especially for when times get rough."  
Peridot took the hoodie and tucked it under her arm. "Thank you! I love it. I love you."  
"I love you too, and no problem!"  
Peridot stood on her tiptoes to kiss her girlfriend, but she still wasn't quite tall enough. Lapis leaned down to meet her, and they shared a quick kiss before Peridot reluctantly left for her own home.  
"Bye, I'll see you tomorrow!"  
"Bye!"

Peridot made her way back home much happier than she'd been when she'd left. When she entered the house, nobody greeted her, and she made it back to her room uninterrupted.  
She shed the dress - leaving her in her undergarments - and let it fall to the ground before she stepped out of it, hanging it up on her closet door. She put on a pair of pajama shorts and a tank top before going to the bathroom to wash off the makeup caking her face.

Peridot brushed her teeth before returning to her room and putting the hoodie that Lapis gave her on. She climbed into bed, and turned out the lights, getting comfortable in preparation to sleep. Out of curiosity, she buried her nose in the fabric of the hoodie and inhaled. It smelled wonderful, just like Lapis' perfume.  
Peridot smiled and closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep shortly after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Я тоже тебя люблю." - "I love you too."


	5. Chapter 5

Gentle sunlight streamed through the blinds into Lapis' room, where the young couple sat. Peridot was in her girlfriend's lap, snuggling up to Lapis, wearing the hoodie that had been given to her that previous year.

The two were researching colleges, just like all the other seniors. Peridot had her eyes on a small art college in the mountains, hours away from her family. Lapis quite liked it too - it had her desired major - animation - when most colleges didn't.

"Y'know, if we both get into the college, we can room together. We can request to," Lapis told Peridot, who perked up at the information.  
"That sounds wonderful! But my parents are pushing me to go to a local college so they can keep me at home... I don't think I can survive life there any longer than I absolutely have to."  
"Remember, babe, you're worth more than what they do to you. You don't deserve their abuse. You're a beautiful, smart, wonderful girl, and if they don't see it, they can go fuck themselves."

Peridot chuckled and blushed at the compliments that her girlfriend was doling out.  
"Thank you, babe. I love you so much."  
"I love you too. Anyone would be lucky to have you, but I'm the luckiest of all, because you love me back," Lapis murmured, leaning forward and placing a kiss on the top of Peridot's head.  
"I really worry about you though. I can't stand the thought of them laying a finger on you, trying to hurt you like that..." she mumbled before hugging Peridot tightly.  
Peridot hummed in response before speaking. "I'll survive. I've done it plenty of times, and now I have even more of a reason to make it through."

She turned around and gave Lapis a quick kiss.  
"Please stay safe, baby. I don't know what I would do without you," Lapis responded, hugging her girlfriend again.  
"I will. I'll start preparing for if I need to make a quick escape."  
"Thank you. I love you, Peridot."  
"I love you too."

\--------

Peridot had stayed the night at Lapis', returning home the next morning. Remembering her words, she subtly started to prepare for if she ever needed to leave on short notice.  
A spare charger, a few sets of clothes, some granola bars, money that she'd been saving up, and anything else she thought would be beneficial was stashed in a spare backpack of hers, and hid in a large hole in the boxspring of her bed - she didn't want any of her family to find it.

She hoped she'd never have to use it, but some part of her knew she would.

\--------

Peridot made her way into the kitchen, trying to keep to herself, with no luck. Jasper spotted her, and yelled from where she was sitting in the living room a few feet away.  
"Hey! Runt! Get me and dad some snacks! We're watching the game here!"

That was the last thing Peridot wanted to do. She detested them with every fiber of her being.  
Her thighs and wrists burned with cuts old and new inflicted upon herself as a result of their constant abuse.  
"Go get them yourself," she muttered, not realizing her mistake.

Jasper and their dad heard, both standing up and turning to face her. Peridot slowly started to back away, hoping to reach her room, but they caught up, towering over her.  
She cowered away from them, but it wasn't enough. An open-handed strike to the side of her face sent her sprawling to the ground, squealing in pain.  
"Shut up," Jasper growled as she gave a well-placed kick to her sister's ribs, and she whimpered, each sound earning another kick.

Tears welled up in Peridot's eyes as she tried to pick herself up off the ground, but fell again when her father hooked his leg around hers and pulled it out from underneath her. After that, she made no attempt to move; she simply curled up and let them hurt her until they got bored and left her alone.

When she was sure they were gone, she stood on shaky legs and slowly made her way back to her room, where she contemplated whether she should finally leave. It didn't take long for her to decide; she retrieved the backpack she'd prepared just for this, and quietly snuck out the window, closing it behind her.

She went straight to Lapis' house - it was her only plan. She quietly knocked on the door, and her girlfriend answered. Upon seeing Peridot in such bad shape, she gasped and pulled Peridot inside, hugging her tightly; only letting her go when she whimpered in pain.  
"Sorry..." Lapis apologized, her voice full of sadness and concern.  
"It's okay..."  
"Did they do this to you?"  
Peridot nodded before speaking, "I decided to run away. I couldn't take it anymore."  
"That was a good decision, but where are you going to go?"  
"I thought... maybe I could stay here?"  
"I'd love to have you live here, but this is the first place your parents are gonna look for you when they find out you ran off."

Lapis was right. Peridot hadn't thought about that.  
"There's a women's shelter about half an hour from here. I'll look up the address. Please go there, and text me once you get there. I need to know if you've made it safely."  
"I will. I love you, Lapis."  
"I love you too, Peridot. I love you more than anything, and it hurts me so much to see you in pain."  
Lapis placed a gentle kiss on Peridot's forehead. She then pulled out her phone and looked up the address, and wrote it down for Peridot to take.  
"I'd go with you, baby, but I don't feel great. I really wish I could."  
"It's okay, I don't want you to be in danger."  
"Stay safe, I love you."  
"I love you too."  
Peridot hugged her girlfriend before turning around and walking down the steps, checking the quickest path to the shelter; it was still some distance away.

She walked in its general direction for hours, hoping she could find it before the sun set. She tried to avoid looking like she hurt, but it was hard when her body and legs pulsed with pain from where she'd been kicked. By the time the sun set, she still hadn't found it, and her phone's battery had died long ago.

Panic rose in her chest and tears came to her eyes as she realized she was lost and stranded with nowhere to stay. Peridot struggled to stay calm and keep looking, but the panic peaked when a car drove past her, stopped, and pulled up next to her.  
Surely, it was a bunch of men waiting to kidnap her and do unspeakable things to her, she thought, starting to move away from the car. However, a cautious glance at who was inside told her otherwise.

Peridot recognized the girl in the passenger seat as Garnet, a girl from school, and she assumed the woman with the large pink hair in the driver's seat to be her mother. She sighed in relief as the window rolled down, and a soft, comforting voice called out, "Hey, you're Peridot, right?"

She nodded in response.  
"My daughter recognized you from school, and she noticed that you don't look in the best shape."  
Peridot blushed in embarrassment, but moved closer to the car. Upon seeing the darkening bruise on Peridot's cheek, the woman quietly gasped.  
"Who did this to you?"  
"My dad... my sister..." Peridot mumbled almost inaudibly.  
"Are you out at this hour because you tried to get away from them?"  
She nodded again.  
"Please, come with us. I can give you a safe place to stay."

Peridot perked up at the mention of a safe haven and saw Garnet watching her closely, along with a young boy, about twelve years old, sitting in the backseat.  
"Are you sure it's okay?" she asked, hesitating before she moved towards the door to the backseat.  
"Absolutely."  
Peridot tentatively climbed into the car and closed the door.  
"Thank you, Mrs... Universe, is it?"  
She was met with a chuckle and the woman answered, "Please, call me Rose."  
"Okay... thank you, Rose."  
"You're very welcome, dear Peridot."

Shortly after they started back towards the house, the young boy took her hand, and held it gently in his own. Peridot was touched by the little gesture. When she'd looked over at him, he'd given her a sympathetic smile, and Peridot couldn't help but smile back.

"I see Steven has taken a liking to you. He's such a sweet boy," Rose mentioned when she glanced back.  
Peridot smiled. "Yeah, he is."  
"I think Peridot is nice!" Steven piped up.  
Peridot smiled again and Rose and Garnet laughed softly.

Steven held Peridot's hand the whole ride back, and when they got out of the car, led her up to the house and inside. She stayed behind Rose and Garnet, and glanced around the house. It was quite spacious, with the living room off to the side, and a kitchen further back. A hallway led away from the living room, and there was a staircase going to the upper floor.

Two girls walked down the stairs, and Peridot recognized them as Amethyst and Pearl, also from school. A man entered the room from the hallway and Peridot involuntarily stiffened as her breath caught in her throat. She subconsciously hid behind Rose as he approached.

"Welcome back! How was practice?" the man asked.  
"Good, thanks," Garnet answered, smiling.  
"I set the stuff out for dinner, I figured I'd help you with it!"  
"Thanks, honey, that was very sweet of you."

Peridot peeked from around Rose, and when the man - presumably Rose's husband - noticed her, she withdrew again.  
"Who's this?" he asked, backing up a little when he noticed her fear. "Hey, it's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you."  
Peridot looked up at him for a moment before coming out from behind Rose. Steven gently squeezed her hand - he was still holding it - and Peridot smiled nervously. Rose put an arm around her and softly pulled her to her side.

"This is Peridot, she goes to school with the girls," she explained before moving over to him and whispering something in her husband's ear. His eyes widened slightly as he understood the situation, and nodded before moving towards the living room.

"That's Greg, my husband. Don't worry though, he won't hurt you." Rose murmured to her, sensing her fear. Peridot nodded in response, thankful for the reassurance.  
"Steven, can you show Peridot the guest room, so she can put down her stuff?"  
"Okay!" Steven chirped, starting towards the stairs. "This way!"  
Peridot couldn't help but smile at Steven's enthusiasm about everything, and she let herself be led upstairs to the guest room.  
"Here it is, Peridot!"

Peridot looked into the room to see soft blue walls and white furniture, and a queen-sized bed neatly made. She walked in, and set her stuff down, propping it against the bed.  
before pulling out her phone and charger, plugging it in.  
"Thank you," she mumbled.  
"Are you gonna text someone?"  
"Yeah. There's someone that cares about me, and I want to let them know I'm safe..."  
"Ooh, who are they?" Steven moved to where he could see Peridot's phone, and noticed the hearts by Lapis' name.  
"Lapis? I know her!"  
"Really?"  
"Yeah! Is she your girlfriend?"

Peridot paused for a moment, then nodded tensely. She didn't want to be kicked out. "Please don't tell anyone."  
"Why not?" Steven tilted his head a little in confusion. "We support gay people. In fact, my sisters are gay."  
Peridot was so relieved that she didn't have to hide who she was here. She smiled at him before she quickly typed, "I'm safe, babe. The Quartz-Universes found me and took me in." before hitting send. She put her phone on the bedside table and started back downstairs, Steven following closely.

Rose had started dinner by the time she had gotten back downstairs, and she called over to Peridot, "Do you want to help me make dinner?"  
The last time Peridot had tried to help her mom make dinner, she'd been hit with a soup ladle for messing something up. She was a little apprehensive at first, but she trusted Rose, and knew she wouldn't hurt her.  
"Sure," Peridot answered, heading over to the kitchen to stand beside the larger woman.

Steven sat at the kitchen island, watching Peridot to make sure she was okay. "We're making spaghetti tonight!"  
Peridot smiled before asking Rose, "What should I do?"  
"Well, I have the beef thawing, so that will be a few minutes before we put it in the pan to cook, but the water's boiling for the noodles, so can you grab those for me?"

Peridot nodded, retrieving the noodles and handed them over, watching as Rose took a handful out of the box and put them in the pot.  
"We'll let those boil as the beef cooks."  
Rose took the block of almost-thawed ground beef and set it in the pan with about an inch of water. She took a wooden spoon and broke it up into chunks, and kept stirring it until it had broken up sufficiently.  
"Can you hand me the garlic and onion salt, dear?"  
"Sure!" 

Peridot grabbed the seasonings and watched as Rose sprinkled some into the pan with the beef. She figured that the spaghetti sauce would be the next thing on the list, reaching over to grab it. As she reached for it, she knocked over one of the spices that Rose had just used, the cap popping off and the contents spilling onto the counter.

She instinctively cowered away from the blow she was expecting, tears welling up to her tightly closed eyes.  
But the blow didn't come. A gentle hand on her shoulder prompted her to look up, and Rose knelt down in front of her.  
"It's okay. Accidents happen."  
Peridot wiped the tears from her eyes and Rose offered a hug, which she accepted, hugging the larger woman tightly.  
"Thank you..." she whispered as she drew back,  
"I will never hurt you, my dear."

Steven grabbed her hand and Peridot looked over at him. He wanted to give her a hug too, so she let him, and the young boy hugged her tight, to the point where she whimpered a little in pain from her soreness.  
"Careful..."  
"Sorry," he apologized as he drew back.  
"It's okay, I'm just a little sore..."

Rose finished making dinner with Peridot's help, and soon, it was ready. She, Steven and the girls helped set the table. Peridot wasn't used to family dinners - back home, everyone would eat at their own times, and she usually ate in her room to avoid her family.

Once everyone sat at the table, they served themselves, Peridot taking a small portion to leave some for the other six - even so, there was plenty to go around.  
"Are you sure you don't want any more? There's plenty for you to have more, if you want it."  
"Thank you..." she replied, taking a little bit more.

The food was delicious. Peridot ate as much as she could, and there were still leftovers after everyone else had eaten their fill as well.  
She helped clean up, and when the table was cleared, she returned to the guest room and grabbed her phone off the table. Lapis had sent a few messages, mainly consisting of "I love you"s and "I'm glad you're safe"s.  
She smiled and sent an "I love you" back, followed by blue and green heart emojis.

A gentle knock on the door prompted her to look up, and she saw Garnet looking in.  
"Can we come in?" she asked, gesturing to Amethyst and Pearl, who had shown themselves shortly after.  
"Sure."  
The trio entered the room and sat down on the bed with Peridot, making sure not to corner her.  
"Are you okay? I know that you're having rough times at home with your family."  
"Yeah..."  
"We want you to know that we're here for you. Always."  
"Thank you..." Peridot murmured, followed closely by a yawn.  
The three girls giggled, and Pearl spoke, "We'll leave you to get ready for bed; I can see that you're tired."  
"G'night, Peri!" Amethyst called out as she stood and left the room, the others in tow.

Peridot realized they were right - she was tired. She quickly changed into her pajamas, crawled into the bed and sent Lapis a quick "Goodnight" text before putting the phone back and settling down. For the first time, she fell asleep knowing that there was a family who loved her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all for the wonderful comments! although i did feel a little bad reading them as youre prooooobably not gonna like me too much after this chapter heh :^)

For the first time, Peridot woke not to the sound of yelling or screaming, but to the smell of pancakes and bacon and eggs. She got up, put her glasses on and shuffled downstairs, rubbing her bleary eyes, to see Rose cooking breakfast for the family. Peridot yawned before mumbling a sleepy "Mornin', Rose." and went to stand beside her.  
"Good morning, Peridot! I'm just finishing up breakfast, so take what you like."

Peridot picked up a plate from the counter, choosing a few syrup-covered pancakes and a handful of bacon. As she sat down with her plate and fork, the other members of the family appeared, making their own plates and sitting down with her to eat.

The food was delicious, and she ate slowly, savoring the flavor of each bite. She chatted with the others about a wide range of topics, eventually landing on the topic of significant others.  
"So, Peridot, are you seeing anyone?" Amethyst asked.   
Peridot was apprehensive at first, but she remembered Steven's words the night before - that his family isn't homophobic.  
"Yeah..."  
"Who's the lucky one?"  
"You guys know Lapis, right?"  
Amethyst's jaw dropped before it turned into a grin and she started giggling. The others started to chuckle too.  
"You're dating Lapis?"  
Peridot nodded, smiling. She loved her girlfriend and she loved being able to talk about her.  
"I'll bet you two are very cute together," Garnet said, grinning.  
Peridot started laughing; this was the happiest she'd been for the first time in ages.

When they were done, the family got up and washed their dishes before dispersing to do their own things. Peridot was walking up the stairs with Steven when the doorbell rang, and she flinched before running out of sight of the front door. She peeked around a corner as Rose opened it, and when she saw the faces of her parents, she withdrew, shaking.  
She didn't want to go back; she couldn't.  
Steven hugged her, and she wrapped her arms around him, shivering fearfully.

"We believe that you have my daughter here," Peridot's father spoke matter-of-factly.  
"I have no knowledge of your daughter, and there is nobody in the house except for my family," Rose countered, and Peridot sighed in relief.  
"The GPS on Peridot's phone says otherwise."   
All of the color left Peridot's face when she heard her father.  
"...Very well. I'll go get her."

Tears started streaming down her face as she started to sob. She knew she couldn't survive living in that house any longer, especially since she'd run away; she didn't know what they would do to her now.

Rose appeared from the stairway, and knelt down beside the now-sitting Peridot, who was still bawling.  
"Shh... shh... it'll be alright, dear." she murmured, wiping the tears from Peridot's face.  
Peridot hiccuped as Rose calmed her down, and she reached up to give her a hug.  
Rose rubbed Peridot's back as her tears subsided, and stood, helping her to her feet.

"Steven, go get Peridot's stuff for her." she quetly instructed. Steven nodded and went into the guest room while Rose asked, "Do you have your phone?"  
Peridot nodded and pulled it out of her pocket.  
"Good. I want you to have my number just in case you need me in an emergency, and in the case that you can't contact me, give it to Lapis too. I will always be here for you if you need me."  
Peridot nodded as Rose gently took the phone out of her hands and programmed her number in it before handing it back to her. Steven returned shortly after, toting Peridot's stuff. He handed it to her, and she took it gratefully.

"Okay, let's go. You'll be okay. You have Lapis, and you have us."  
Rose led Peridot down the stairs, a hand on her shoulder the whole time. Peridot had her head bowed, staring at her feet, letting Rose guide her.

"Thank you for keeping her safe until we found her," Peridot's father spoke, grabbing her shoulder roughly and pulling her outside. Peridot let out a small squeak at the unnecessary roughness.

"You're welcome..." Rose answered with a look of barely-contained disgust at his treatment of Peridot, and watched as her mother led her to the car.  
The man turned to leave, and Rose shut the door, turning to the family that had gathered to watch.  
"We have to do something about this."

\--------  
(Self-harm, suicide attempt ahead)  
\--------

After she left Rose's house, while still in the car, Peridot had been slapped for running away. When she finally got home, she locked herself in her room, only leaving to use the bathroom and to get food.

Over those next few days, she was abused worse than she'd even been in her life. Soon, she was essentially a walking bruise, with mottled blemishes on her neck, ribs, sides and legs. Her self-harming habit worsened, and where she wasn't sore for bruises, she hurt from fresh cuts on her wrists and thighs.

She couldn't take it anymore. She had to make it stop.

Peridot picked up her phone, staring at the time displayed on the screen for a second before swiping her thumb across, unlocking it. Her mind was made up. She poked the screen to pull up the messenger, and selected the chat between her and Lapis.  
Gently, she typed, "I can't take the abuse anymore. I have to make it stop. Goodbye, Lapis. I love you so, so much. Please don't miss me too much."  
Her family was out - there was no better time. She picked up the blade and held out her left wrist before dragging it down her arm, over the vein, gritting her teeth in pain as she repeated the cut, going deeper and deeper. Her wrist now bled profusely and her hand shook as she took the blade in her other hand to do the same to her other wrist.  
Blood was dripping down her arms in rivers, and when she was done with the final cut, she finally clicked send on the text. By now, her head swam and the room spun around her, everything going dark.  
She swayed for a moment before her knees buckled underneath her and she collapsed on the floor, slowly bleeding out.

\--------

Lapis looked down at her phone when it buzzed, picking it up to read the message she had just received. Her breath caught in her throat as she read it, and she knew what Peridot had done. She abandoned her homework and ran out the door as she dialed an ambulance, tears welling up in her eyes. Lapis sprinted the few hundred feet it was to her girlfriend's house and fumbled with the key as her call was answered.  
"911, what's your emergency?"  
Lapis finally got the door open and ran into the house as she frantically answered, her voice cracking,  
"I think my girlfriend has attempted suicide," she choked out.  
"Okay, where does she live?"   
Lapis blubbered out the address as she searched the house, finding her girlfriend on the floor of the bathroom, laying in her own blood, her tears spilling over, streaming down her face.  
"Okay, an ambulance is on its way."  
Lapis grabbed Peridot's phone and shoved it into her jacket pocket before she sank to her knees and pulled Peridot into her lap, not caring about the blood on her clothes. She clumsily pulled up her contact list and dialed Rose, getting an answer on the third ring. 

Rose's gentle voice greeted her, "Hello, Rose speaking."  
Lapis sobbed into the phone, telling her about what had happened.  
"Oh, my... I'm on my way," Rose responded before the line went dead, and Lapis shoved her phone back into her pocket. Peridot was still breathing, which was a good sign - but Lapis didn't know how much longer she would last without help.  
She brushed a lock of hair off of Peridot's face and kissed her forehead, sobbing quietly.  
"I love you, Peridot. I can't lose you... Я не могу, Я не могу, Я не могу..."  
Sirens alerted Lapis to the ambulance's arrival, and as the entered the house she called out weakly to let the paramedics know where she was. They found the pair, and one of the paramedics gently picked Peridot up - she lay limp like a ragdoll in his arms.

They rushed out, Lapis following closely behind, trying not to lose sight of her beloved. The paramedic carrying Peridot gently put her onto a gurney and loaded her into the ambulance. Lapis climbed in after them, and soon, the ambulance started moving, sirens wailing.  
"What's her name?" asked one of them.  
"Peridot... Peridot Smith." Lapis answered, struggling to not revert to her native Russian.  
"Age?"  
"Seventeen years old..."  
"Date of birth?"  
"August 15th."  
"What's her blood type?" another one of them asked before explaining, "She needs a transfusion. She's lost a lot of blood."  
Lapis stammered, "I-I don't know..."  
The paramedics stemmed the bleeding from Peridot's wrists, before bandaging them up and inserting an IV into her arm, attaching a bag of blood labeled O-.

Lapis reached over and grabbed Peridot's hand, ignoring the blood drying on it. She gently ran her thumb over girlfriend's, tears still softly running down her face. The ride was tense and short, and the ambulance started to slow, the sirens cutting off as they stopped at the hospital.   
The paramedics rushed Peridot in, Lapis running alongside them until a nurse put her hand on Lapis' shoulder, prompting her to turn around.

"Hello, dear," She began, looking down at Lapis' bloodstained clothing before looking back up at her face. "I'm Lenore."  
She paused for a moment to let Lapis register what she'd said, before continuing, "You were with the young lady that was just taken in, right?"  
Lapis nodded silently.  
"I see. I know where they will take her, and I can show you where to wait for information on her. Would you also like to change out of these clothes?"  
"Да..." Lapis answered before clearing her throat and correcting herself when Lenore looked confused, "Yes... and please take me to where I can wait for her..."  
"Follow me then, dear."  
Lapis was led through the halls of the hospital, numb to her surroundings. Lenore took her to a waiting room with a small tv in the corner, and she sat down as the nurse asked for her clothing sizes.  
Lapis answered quietly, and Lenore left for a moment, quickly returning with a clean set of clothes and a bag for her current ones.  
"The bathroom is across the hall. You can change in there."  
"Thank you..." Lapis mumbled, standing up and slowly making her way to the bathroom to change.

She hardly registered her movements as she stripped down and put the clean clothes on, stuffing the dirty clothes in the bag that she had been given. She returned to the waiting room and curled up in a chair, pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her head on them. Shortly after, a soft voice calling her name alerted her.  
"Lapis?"   
It was Rose. Lapis rushed towards her before wrapping her arms around the large woman, and another fresh wave of tears burst forth. Rose held her comfortingly as she sobbed, rubbing her back gently as the girl hiccuped and cried. 

When Lapis calmed down enough to pull back, she mumbled, "Sorry..."  
"There's no need to be sorry, my child. None of this is your fault," Rose calmly answered before suggesting, "Let's sit down. I'll bet you're tired."

Rose sat down, and Lapis followed suit, gently leaning against Rose, who in turn put her arm around her to pull her closer as they waitied for any news on Peridot's condition.  
Lapis had almost fallen asleep when another nurse called into the room, jolting Lapis awake.

"You can see Peridot now."

Lapis jumped to her feet, wide awake, and rushed to follow, and Rose stood slowly, keeping a hand on the girl's shoulder.  
They were led to Peridot's room, and when Lapis looked in, she came dangerously close to crying yet again as she saw her beloved Peridot looking so pitiful. A heart monitor gently beeped in the background as Lapis rushed forward and grabbed one of Peridot's hands, holding it softly in both of hers.  
She mumbled in a flurry of Russian, her meaning nevertheless clear; "I'm so sorry", and "I love you".

After a minute, Rose placed a hand on Lapis' shoulder and pulled her away, leading her to the other side of the room. Lapis pulled a chair over to the side of the bed and sat in it, taking Peridot's other hand. She watched the gentle rise and fall of her girlfriend's chest as she breathed, afraid that each one could be her last. Rose took the seat by the window, and together, they waited for any change in her condition, whether it be for better or for worse.

\--------

Peridot gently groaned as she woke, her wrists throbbing painfully. She looked around at the unfamiliar hospital room, realizing that Lapis - her girlfriend - had probably saved her life. Beside her, Lapis was sleeping, hunched over on the side of the bed, softly holding Peridot's hand; she gently squeezed back and weakly called out Lapis' name, too weak to do much else.  
Lapis stirred, making little noises as she woke up. She looked up at Peridot, tears filling her eyes and a smile crossing her face when she realized Peridot was okay. She softly pulled Peridot's hand over to her own and placed a kiss on the back of it before speaking.

"Peridot, I love you so much. I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you..."  
Peridot looked down and away, lacing her fingers with Lapis', before mumbling, "I'm sorry, Lapis. I'm so sorry for hurting you like this..."

Rose's voice sounded from the seat by the window. "Hello, Peridot. I'm glad you're awake."  
Peridot looked towards Rose, then away, ashamed, tears filling her eyes. "I'm sorry."  
Rose moved in front of Peridot and gently lifted her head before wiping the tears away. "It's okay, Peridot," she reassured her, softly taking hold of Peridot's other hand. "I'm going to do everything I can to get you out of your house."

"Really?"  
"Yes, my dear. But until I can, please stay strong. You're worth more than what they do to you, and soon you won't have to live with that anymore."  
Peridot nodded and answered, "Okay, I will. Thank you so much."  
"I have to go now, I have to check on the kids, but I'll be back."  
"Okay. Bye, Rose."  
"Bye, Peridot."  
With that, Rose let go of Peridot's hand and turned to leave.

After she left, Lapis moved out of the chair and sat on the edge of the bed beside Peridot. The two sat there in silence, Peridot leaning on Lapis, the two girls holding hands. Lapis pressed a kiss to her cheek, and despite the circumstances, they both still smiled.

Lapis then reached up to Peridot's face, tilting it up and placing a gentle kiss on her lips. Peridot relaxed into the kiss, wrapping her arms around Lapis, and--  
"Peridot!" An enraged shout sounded from the doorway, scaring the smaller girl. Peridot whimpered in fear as she broke the kiss and shrank away from her mother's angry voice. Lapis wrapped her arms protectively around her girlfriend as her mother approached the side of the bed, her father and Jasper following close behind.

"I can't believe you!" Peridot's mother spat, "Kissing a girl! Haven't I told you that doing- homosexual *things*- is one of the worst things you can do?!"  
Lapis held Peridot tight as she was yelled at. Peridot buried her head into Lapis' shoulder and started tearing up.  
"Oh, is she your girlfriend?" she accused, pointing at Lapis with a disgusted look on her face.  
Peridot peeked up at her mother and nodded slightly, starting to cry.

"How dare you?" Lapis had finally had enough. "We can't control who we love! If we love girls, then we love girls! It's not our choice!" She snarled at Peridot's mother, who took a step back in surprise.  
"Well, if she's to have a place in my house, she absolutely will not be gay. As far as I'm concerned, she's no longer my daughter."  
Peridot's mother turned and walked out, the other two leering at Peridot before following the woman.

As soon as her former family left the room, Peridot started bawling, clinging onto Lapis as if her life depended on her. Lapis comfortingly rubbed Peridot's back as she cried, holding her until she calmed down. Even after she stopped crying, she still held on, just enjoying the comfort of being in the arms of the girl she loved the most.  
"I love you, Lapis..." she mumbled weakly.  
"I love you too, Peri," Lapis answered, pausing for a second. "Are you okay, babe?"  
Peridot nodded and sighed before responding, "Yeah. I'm glad they're gone, and I found my solace in you. You've been there for me since the beginning, and I appreciate it. I love you so much, babe, and I always will."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Я не могу, Я не могу, Я не могу... - I can't, I can't, I can't...  
> Да... - Yes...


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY FOR LEAVING THE END FOR THIS LONG
> 
> DEPRESSION IS A BITCH

The couple sat there in comfortable silence, holding each other gently until Rose returned.  
"I'm back, girls; is everything okay?", she asked as she entered.

"Peridot's family... visited, while you were gone. And they caught us kissing," Lapis began.

"They disowned me," Peridot finished, sighing softly and wrapping a hand around Lapis'.

Rose thought for a moment, looking at the two girls. "I'm sorry that they visited - but with them disowning you, it makes the process of getting you out of there infinitely easier. Once you're discharged, we'll go get your things and take them back home. Your new home. Okay?"

Peridot nodded, brightening up at the prospect of living in a safe home.  
"I also talked to a nurse before I came in, and she said that you're likely to be discharged tomorrow."  
Peridot nodded again.  
"My parents might object to me getting my things..."  
"Don't worry, I'll be there. I'll make sure they don't interfere."   
"Thank you," Peridot whispered, looking up at Rose. Rose smiled and patted Peridot's shoulder gently before placing a kiss on her forehead.  
"I'll stay for a little bit, then I have to leave. I have to prepare for moving all your stuff tomorrow."  
"Thanks... mom."  
Rose looked slightly surprised for a split second before smiling and responding, "You're welcome, my daughter."  
Peridot smiled and reached out to hug her new mother, and Rose gently took her in an embrace.

She had never felt safer.

\--- 

Peridot was discharged the next day, just as Rose had predicted, and she was prepared to retrieve Peridot's things. There were more than enough boxes to store her things, and even a trailer on the back of the car. The family quickly made their way to Peridot's former home.

"You don't have to go inside if you don't feel comfortable with it, but if you do, I'll make sure they stay far away from you." Rose reassured her, looking back at her in the rearview mirror.  
"I'll go in," Peridot answered. "I have to get all of my things." She gave Lapis' hand a gentle squeeze before continuing, "Besides, I have you guys now..."

The family pulled up in front of Peridot's former home, and she braced herself to return to the place where she'd endured hell.  
"Are you sure you want to go in? Like I said, we can go in there for you," Lapis asked, concerned.  
"Yes. In addition to getting my things, I... I want to show them that they can't hurt me anymore. I want them to know that I have a real family now, not the one they pretended to be, claiming they loved me, only to put me through hell. I want them to know that I'm better than they made me think I was," Peridot reaffirmed.  
"Okay. I love you. We love you. We won't let them hurt you anymore," Lapis answered, and gave Peridot a small kiss before looking around at the others in the car.  
"Let's go," Rose prompted, turning the car off and getting out. The others quickly followed suit, and Peridot suppressed a wave of panic, taking a deep breath and steeling herself as she stepped out of the car.

The others formed a protective barrier around her as the group approached the house, and Lapis grabbed her hand, giving Peridot a small amount of comfort and easing her anxiety a little. The door to the house opened as they approached, and the harsh voice of Peridot's father was heard, accusing them of trespassing. Peridot shrank away from the voice with a small whimper, backing into Lapis, who held her close.

"Peridot's belongings are in your residence, if I am correct?", Rose spoke, a commanding tone in her voice. "Since, to you, Peridot is no longer your daughter, we are here to collect her things."

Peridot's mother and Jasper had joined her father at the door, who was gaping at them.

"We are here to gather Peridot's belongings," Rose repeated forcefully. At this, Peridot's father retreated, allowing the group entry. Rose nodded at Garnet and Greg, who moved to keep Peridot's former family from interfering with them.

The rest of the group moved towards Peridot's old room, and started gathering her belongings. It only took about an hour; while she lived there, she had mostly kept to her room, storing her things in there with her.  
Lapis had stayed by Peridot's side the whole time, never letting her get too far away - all she wanted was for Peridot to feel safe. The smaller girl appreciated her girlfriend's protection, feeling a little bit safer even while still under the roof of her abusers.

She couldn't wait to get the hell out of that house and never return.

They finished up, scouring the rest of the house to make absolutely sure that they had gotten all of Peridot's belongings. When she was satisfied that everything was ready to go, Peridot was the first one into the car, Lapis following closely behind. The others piled in after her, leaving shortly after to take Peridot's things to her new home.

Peridot leaned against Lapis on the way back, trembling slightly. Lapis gently wrapped her arms around the smaller girl, softly humming to her. Peridot's ordeal was over, and for that she was grateful. She had scars to bear from it, but she was proud of herself for never letting them get the best of her.

\-------

Months later, the two girls sat on the roof of a now-familiar house that they'd seen in their dreams once before, several years ago.

Peridot was slowly healing; she was going to therapy to help undo the damage that her former family had done, and she had a new family that loved her dearly. She had the love of her life by her side, watching the stars with her on the roof of her loving family's home, as the warm summer night breeze tousled their hair. Needless to say, she was much happier.

Lapis gently cradled Peridot in her arms as they stargazed, letting the smaller girl know that she was safe and loved. Peridot softly rested her head in the crook of Lapis' neck, sighing happily when Lapis placed a kiss on her forehead.

"I love you, Peridot." Lapis murmured, pulling her slightly closer.  
"I love you too." Peridot whispered in response as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep in the warm embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i appreciate every single read, like, and comment that i've received on this and all my fics so i thank you for reading and enjoying this!
> 
> i have another idea that i'll write soon so keep an eye out for that!


End file.
